New biomass-fired CHP plant inaugurated in Sweden

By Fortum Corp. | May 11, 2016

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Fortum Värme, jointly owned by Fortum and the city of Stockholm, has inaugurated its new, biomass-fired-combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plant in Värtan, Stockholm, Sweden. When the plant starts commercial production in the autumn, it will use forest residues and wood waste to produce district heat for nearly 200,000 households. Daily consumption of wood chips will be approximately 12,000 cubic meters.

“After a long process, one of the world’s biggest biomass-fired combined-heat-and-power plants has now been inaugurated. This is an important step towards a sustainable energy system in Stockholm and in Europe,” says Fortum Värme Managing Director Anders Egelrud.

"With the new power plant 90 percent of Fortum Värme's energy production is based on renewable and recovered energy sources. That is quite unique. Our goal is naturally 100 percent renewable production," says Karin Wanngård, finance commissioner of the city of Stockholm.

“High emissions and low efficiency of heating, cooling and electricity production are typical problems in growing urban areas. Together with the City of Stockholm, we are taking steps towards a circular economy by utilizing biomass, waste and recovered heat from data centers in energy production. Biomass is a renewable, largely local and carbon-neutral energy source. Its use increases the share of domestic energy resources particularly in Northern Europe, and it is an important building block of a sustainable energy system and bio economy,” says Fortum President and CEO Pekka Lundmark.

The value of the investment project launched in 2013 is about EUR 500 million ($571.27 million).Fortum Värme is the first energy company in Europe to have the Forest Stewardship Council’s Chain of Custody certification. The new power plant will reduce emissions in the Stockholm area by 126,000 metric tons per year.